Phineas and Ferb is a cartoon that is broadcast on the Disney Channel. In total, it managed more than 200 episodes over the course of four seasons, which says much about its ability to bring in the viewers in its time. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Phineas and Ferb:
1. The Dynamic Duo: Stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb
The show’s title refers to the two main characters, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher. Phineas’s mother, Linda Flynn, is married to Ferb’s father, Lawrence Fletcher, making the two stepbrothers. The creators of the show chose this setup for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they felt that blended families were underused in children’s media. Secondly, one of them had personal experience growing up in such a family.
2. The Masterminds: Dan Provenmire and Jeff Marsh
Phineas and Ferb was created by Dan Provenmire and Jeff Marsh, who were still working as layout artists on The Simpsons when they came up with the idea for their own show. Provenmire was in a Californian restaurant when he drew a so-called “triangled kid,” who became the basis for Phineas on Phineas and Ferb. However, it took a total of 15 years before the two creators were able to get their show greenlit.
3. The Name Game: Phineas Inspired by Phileas Fogg
The name Phineas is a reference to Phileas Fogg, the protagonist of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, which was inspired by the travels of American adventurer William Perry Fogg. However, his name was Phineas Fogg in some translations of the novel, thus explaining how Phileas became Phineas.
4. A Nod to Friendship: Ferb’s Name Origin
The name Ferb is a reference to one of the two creators’ mutual friends named Frank, who designed and built sets for various shows. Apparently, Frank’s wife didn’t like his first name very much, which is why she nicknamed him Ferb. It should be mentioned that Ferb is a nickname on Phineas and Ferb as well, with the full name being Ferbs.
5. The Art of Simplicity: Tex Avery Style Characters
Both Phineas and Ferb are drawn in a Tex Avery style to make it easier for children to doodle them. This can be seen in how Phineas’s head consists of a triangle with three ovals to represent the eyes and ears, while Ferb’s head consists of a quadrilateral that is wider at the top than at the bottom, as well as a rectangle plus ovals for the nose and ears. Tex Avery was an American animator best known for his work on some of the most famous Warner Bros. cartoon characters, meaning that his influence extends far beyond just the look of cartoon characters.
6. The Art of Conversation: Following Comedic Duos’ Speech Patterns
One of the most notable characteristics of Phineas and Ferb is that Phineas does most of the talking for the duo. In this, the two creators sought to emulate various other comedic duos. One example would be Jay and Silent Bob, who have appeared in Kevin Smith movie after Kevin Smith movie. Another example would be Wallace and Gromit, a cheese-loving man and his very loyal but very silent dog in the clay animation comedy Wallace and Gromit.
7. The Unusual Pet: Perry the Platypus
The setting of Phineas and Ferb isn’t exactly grounded in reality. For proof, look no further than the Flynn-Fletcher family’s pet, Perry the Platypus, who is a member of an all-animal espionage organization called Organization Without a Cool Acronym. Perry was made a platypus for a number of reasons. Firstly, platypuses are very striking animals because of their strangeness compared to most mammal species. Secondly, platypuses aren’t actually that well-known by American audiences, meaning that they could be used without having to deal with preconceived notions laid out by other cartoon animals. Thirdly, people can’t actually get platypuses as pets in real life because Australia takes the protection of the species pretty seriously, though there are places that work to rehabilitate sick and injured members of the species.
8. The Nemesis: Perry vs. Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Perry’s nemesis is the evil scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, who wants to embark on a campaign of conquest using his inventions. Based on his name, it should come as no surprise to learn that Doofenshmirtz speaks with a German-sounding accent, though he actually comes from a fictional country called Drusselstein. Amusingly, this isn’t actually that implausible, seeing as how what is now Germany was once made up of many fragmented states and statelets, giving rise to many jokes about the Holy Roman Empire that once encompassed them.
9. The Tried and True Formula: A-Plot and B-Plot Intersections
On the whole, Phineas and Ferb has a pretty formulaic setup. In most episodes, the titular characters embark on some kind of grand adventure, with the result that their sister Candace tries to reveal these things to their parents. However, she always fails because the B-plot focused on Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz always intersects with the A-plot in a manner that erases the evidence.
10. The Fictional Setting: An Unspecified Tri-State Area
Phineas and Ferb is set in a tri-state area, which is a term for a number of inhabited places in the Eastern United States that cross over the borders of three separate states. There is no real point in figuring out which tri-state area the show is set in, not least because the city of Danville is wholly fictional.
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